


Cold Water

by Elynittria



Category: House
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-12
Updated: 2006-11-12
Packaged: 2017-10-05 05:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elynittria/pseuds/Elynittria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Wilson-centric tag for "Que Será, Será."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Water

**Author's Note:**

> Heartfelt thanks to Purridot for her perceptive beta.

Wilson stared blindly out the hotel window, not registering the torrents of rain that lashed the glass and pounded the parking lot below. His shoulders slumped as the tension that had tightened his muscles and parched his mouth during the conversation with Tritter suddenly drained away, replaced by a deadening sense of despair.

House had betrayed him.

An awful, hollow feeling settled in Wilson's stomach at the thought. House hadn't even tried to imitate his signature, so sure was he that no one could stop him from getting what he wanted—that no one had the right to even try. Not even his supposed best friend.

Wilson closed his eyes and sighed. Best friend. What a joke. House was barely speaking to him these days, no doubt as a result of his ill-conceived attempt to protect House from himself. He should have known better than to try to help.

_"I don't want your help, damn it!" Daniel spat at him, his face flushed with rage. _

_James's eyes widened with hurt as he confronted his older brother. Freezing rain plastered his hair to his forehead, and he swept it impatiently out of his eyes as he stepped forward with a conciliatory gesture. "Danny," he said softly. "It's not too late. There are programs— "_

_"Fuck the programs! And fuck you, you meddling bastard!"_

Opening his eyes, Wilson gazed out into the rain-swept night. A solitary figure dashed across the parking lot toward the hotel, head ducked down in a vain attempt to evade the downpour. Thunder boomed overhead. He winced and turned away, his hand reaching up to knead the back of his neck.

_"I'm your brother, Danny. I care about you! I can't just turn away—"_

_"Sure you can. It's easy—I'll show you."_

House definitely could be an ass sometimes, as he'd acknowledged to Tritter, but no one was perfect. _He_ sure as hell wasn't. House hadn't given a damn about that—but that was probably because House didn't give a damn about him, period. He was simply a resource to House: a source of Vicodin (knowingly and unknowingly), money, and endless amusement.

No, that wasn't true. It _couldn't_ be true. After all, it had been House who had taken him in after Julie had dismissed him from her life—and who had subsequently tried to kick him out after one night. If it hadn't been for his cooking skills, he would have ended up in a hotel a lot sooner. And he would have missed some of the best times he'd had in far too long.

Wilson wondered how long it would take Tritter to confirm that the scrips were indeed forged. He was so screwed. Both he and House were. But he knew that he could never have given up House to that detective. It simply wasn't an option.

_"I didn't say anything to Dad!" James protested, the rain pouring down his face concealing the tears that welled in his eyes._

_"There's no one else who could've," Daniel answered. "You always wanted to get back at me, you shithead. Don't think I don't know."_

Wilson felt numb. There was nothing left to hold onto. His only friend had stabbed him in the back and managed to jeopardize his career at the same time. The last time that had happened, with Vogler, House had offered his version of an apology and had seemed to genuinely care. Now, however, Wilson doubted House would even acknowledge his pain.

A half-remembered line from a psalm flickered through his mind: _Save me, O God, for the waters are come into my soul._ But it wasn't God who he wished would save him—it was House. It had _always_ been House.


End file.
